MUSIC LINK INTERNATIONAL
FANTASTIC MR FOX
Full Length: 90 mins
Reduced Length Version: 65 mins
Published by Schott Universal
"It captured Dahl's spirit in a musical language that challenged, entertained and never pandered, skillfully balancing dark and light....with Picker's lyric gift and dramatic sense, the opera was a captivating and witty entertainment."
Wall Street Journal
FANTASTIC MR FOX
an opera
Music by Tobias Picker
Text Adapted by Donald Sturrock
Nine sold-out performances and audiences of over 25,000 testify to the success of the premiere production of this exciting work, which debuted at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles in December 1998. Gerald Finley scored a personal triumph in the title role, while critics praised the inventive and witty stage and costume designs of Gerald Scarfe and the direction of Donald Sturrock.
The story of the battle between a family of foxes and a trio of devious farmers was the
catalyst for a sophisticated, tuneful, witty and sometimes downright scary score from composer Tobias Picker which, as the Wall Street Journal described it, "captured Dahl's spirit in a musical language that challenged, entertained and never pandered, skillfully balancing dark and light....with Picker's lyric gift and dramatic sense, the opera was a captivating and witty entertainment."
The 2019 recording by Boston Modern Opera Project and Gil Rose won the Best Opera category in the 2020 Grammy Awards.
Fantastic Mr Fox - Opera San Antonio 2014
"Everything that makes opera successful"
My San Antonio
"it deserves a life beyond West London"
The Observer
"immediately appealing, and gave new audiences an easy climb over opera's building blocks of arias, duets and ensembles. Fantastic Mr Fox pleased its audiences and deserves to be widely performed."
BBC Music Magazine
"Picker’s score is an evocative gemischt of styles and references built on a handsome, spikily tonal framework."
Classical Voice America
"an hour of fun for all ages"
Country Life Magazine
CAST LIST
Baritone
Mezzo-Soprano
Boy
Boy
Girl
Girl
Bass
Tenor
Bass-Baritone
Soprano
Mezzo-Soprano
Soprano
Baritone
Tenor
Mezzo-Soprano
Tenor
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Mrs. Fox
Bennie Foxcub
Lennie Foxcub
Jennie Foxcub
Pennie Foxcub
Farmer Boggis
Farmer Bunce
Farmer Bean
Mavis the Tractor
Agnes the Digger
Miss Hedgehog
Badger the Miner
Burrowing Mole
Rita the Rat
Mr. Porcupine
Chorus of Trees
Various Geese and Chickens
TRANSLATIONS
German translation available by Frank Wenzel
RECORDING
Boston Modern Orchestra Project - this recording won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording
For more about Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox:
http://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/stories/1970s/fantastic-mr-fox
ORCHESTRATIONS
for adult and child singers, children's chorus and orchestra
Full Orchestra Version:
2(1.afl,2.pic).2(2.ca).2(2.bcl).2(2.cbsn)-4.2.2.1-timp.2perc(glsp, xyl, vib, mar, crash cym, cym (pair), h.h, 2gongs, s.d, low dr, 6toms, b.d, 2tempbl)-hp.pno-str(10.9.6.8.4)
Reduced Orchestra Version:
1(pic,afl).1(ca).1(bcl).1(cbsn)-2.1.0.1-timp.1perc(xyl, vib, mar, crash cym, cym (pair), h.h, 2gongs, s.d, 6toms, b.d, 2tempbl)-hp.pno-str(vn.va.vc.db)
Chamber Version:
0.0.1(bcl).1-0.0.0.0-perc(b.d, tempbl ,cym, s.d, gong, tom-t, xyl ratchet)-pno-vn.va.vc
Chamber Version/Reduced Length:
0.0.1(bcl).1-0.0.0.0-perc(b.d, tempbl ,cym, s.d, gong, tom-t, xyl, ratchet)-pno-vn.va.vc
PERFORMANCES
WORLD PREMIERE
Los Angeles Opera, 1998
EUROPEAN PREMIERE
English Touring Opera, 2011
WORLD PREMIERE OF REDUCED VERSION
Opera Holland Park, 2010
OTHERS
DiCapo Opera, New York, 2009
Microscopic Opera, Pittsburgh, 2011
Opera San Antonio, 2014
Boston Modern Orchestra Project, 2014
Opera Kansas 2018